Newsletter28.12.18 — 25.01.19 Issue No.7

The Bolshoi has finished year 2018 - the Year of Ballet and Marius Petipa, and started 2019 — the Year of Theatre in Rus-sia, with Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker by Yuri Grigorovich on the Historic Stage.

The traditional series of performanc-es took place on December 22-31 and Janu-ary 2-7. The Nutcracker was presented 24 times during the holidays.

See more about the balletCasts

Yuri Grigorovich received congratu-lations on his 92th birthday on January 2. The RF President sent a message greet-ing the National Artist of the USSR on his birthday: “Dear Yuri Nikolaevich!

Please accept my warmest congratu-lations on your birthday.

You devoted your life to the art of dance, gained glory for being one of the most prominent contemporary choreogra-phers and enriched the great traditions of the Russian ballet school with your com-prehensive legacy. I sincerely wish you suc-cess in your creative work as well as a long and healthy life and all the best.

Vladimir Putin.”The message text at the official web-

site

On January 9-12 the Rahvusooper Es-tonia tour took place at the Bolshoi stage. The last time Estonian artists performed at the Bolshoi was 28 years ago.

They presentes the ballets Snow Whi -e and the Seven Dwarfs to music by Kocsák Tibor, staged by the well known dancer and choreographer Gyula Harangozo (Ja-nuary 9) and Modigliani — The Cursed Art-ist to the music by Tauno Aints choreo-graphed byThomas Edur (January 10) and Puccini’s Tosca by Raimundas Banionis (January 11).

On January 12 the Rahvusooper Esto-nia finished the tour with a gala of their opera company and the Bolshoi opera company.

Yuri Grigorovich receiving congratulations at the Bolshoi stage.Photo from Artem Ovcharenko FB-page

Modigliani - The Cursed Artist ballet(Alena Shkatula as Jeanne, Anatoli Arhangelski as Modigliani)

Photo by Harri Rospu / Estonia National Ballet

On the same days — January 8-12, the Bolshoi choir had a tour within Russian Seasons in Berlin, Germany.

On January 8 the choir gave a “solo” performance at the Berlin Philharmonic Chamber hall. They presented masterpieces of Russian spiritual music of the late 19th — early 20th centuries. These includ-ed pieces by composers of Moscow Synod school from the time of its glory — Alexander Arkhangelsky, Pavel Tchesnokov, Sergei Rakhmani-nov, Alexander Grechaninov; they used ancient traditional chants of

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

orthodox liturgy. Three choirs by Georgy Sviridov from his music for Tsar Fyodor Iohannovich by Alexey Tolstoy were also presented as well as folk and romantic songs adaptations for a cappella choir and other pieces.

Chief Chorus Master — Valery Borisov. The concert programme (*.pdf)The concert programme at the Berlin Philharmonic

websiteJanuary 10, 11 and 12 — The Bolshoi choir together

with Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the Moscow Philharmonic Main Hall. Tugan Sokhiev con-ducted the concerrts. He has a long-time collaboration with Berlin Philharmonic and performed many times on this stage with German Symphonic Orchestra as their chief conductor in 2012-2016.

The Bolshoi opera leading soloist Agunda Kulaeva (mezzo soprano) and Novaya Opera soloist Vasily La-dyuk (baritone) took part in the concerts. The concerts programme (*.pdf)

At the Berliner Philharmonic websiteThe concerts livestreamed by: Deutschlandradio

Kultur on January 10 (at 20:00 Berlin, UTC +1)BerlinPhilharmonic own videochannel on January

12 (at 21:00 Berlin, UTC +1)See more about the tour in Russian Music In The

Heart Of Berlin

A gala concert for 80 anniversary of the birth of the prominent 20th century ballerina — In Honour Of Ekat-erina Maximova will be presented on the Historic Stage on February 1. Maximova was one of the most beloved and world famous Russian ballerinas of her time. To-gether with her partner and husband Vladimir Vasiliev they became one of the legendary partnerships of Rus-sian ballet. Various current principals of the Bolshoi are to perform in this commemorative show, devised and organised personally by Vladimir Vasiliev, They will feature some of the most significant roles of this techni-cally-dazzling ballerina whose stage personality ranged from roles “of charm” to more academic and even dra-matic ones.

The Bolshoi choir performed with the BerlinPhilharmonic Orchestra, conductor — Tugan Sokhiev,

soloists — Agunda Kulaeva (mezzo soprano)and Vasily Ladyuk (baritone).

Photo from Agunda Kulaeva facebook

Ekaterina Maximova

EventsJanuary 16 -19 (12:00 and 19:00) and 20 (18:00) at the

Historic Stage — The ballet by Marius Petipas La Baya-dere, music by Ludwig Minkus; choreographic version by Yuri Grigorovich, scenes from productions by Vakhtang Chabukiani, Nikolai Zubkovsky, Konstantin Sergeyev used.

Yuri Grigorovitch created the new choreographic version by for the Historic Stage after its reconstruction and restoration, the premiere was on January 24, 2013.

On January 20, the Bolshoi together with partner companies Pathé Live and Bel Air Media started the 2019 year season of Bolshoi In Cinema with a livestream of La Bayadere from the Historic Stage.

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

The screening was available at the same time to Russian audience at the Bolshoi official media-service

Main roles on the livestream day by:Nikia — Olga SmirnovaSolor, the noble warrior —

Artemy BelyakovDugmanta, Rajah — Alexei Loparevich Gamzatti,

his daughter — Olga Marchenkova The High Brahmin — Alexander Fadeyechev Magedaveya, Fakir — Anton Savi-chev

The Bronze Idol — David Motta SoaresCast detailsSchedule and tickets for Moscow and Russian cin-

emas available at websites TheatreHD and CoolConnec-tions

In world cinemasLivestreams of cinema season 2018/19 at the thea-

tre’s websiteVideo and screeningCastsConductors — Pavel Sorokin (January 17, 18, 20), P a-

vel Klinichev (January 19)See more about the history of productions and ver-

sions of La Bayadere in an article by Violetta Mainietse on the theatre’s website.

January 23, 24, 25 and 26, the Historic Stage — op-era Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi, production by the Eng-lish director Adrian Noble.

The production was created for the 200th anniver-sary of the composer’s birth. The premiere was on De-cember 17, 2013.

Conductor — Keri-Lynn Wilson (with the Bolshoi since 2008, conducted operas La Bohème, Tosca, Iolanta, Don Carlo).

See casts details here See more about the opera’s history, its productions

at the Bolshoi and Adrian Noble’s version at the thea-tre’s website.

January 12 (12:00 and 19:00) and 13 (14:00) the 2019 ballet performances at the New Stage started with Cop-pelia by Leo Delibes in choreographic version by Ser-gei Vikharev. Main parts of Swanilda and Frantz per-formed (respectively) by: January 12 at 12:00 — Daria Khokhlova and Ruslan Skvortsov; at 19:00 — Anastasia Stashkevich and Vyacheslav Lopatin.

January 13 at 14:00 — Anna Tikhomirova and Klim Efimov (debut). Coppelius on these days (respectively): Alexander Fadeyechev, Gennadi Yanin, Alexei Loparev-ich. Casts Conductors — Pavel Sorokin (January 12), Pavel Klinichev (January 13).

The ballet will be performed at the New Stage next time on March 22, 23 (12:00 and 19:00) and 24 (14:00).

The head of the Bolshoi ballet company Makhar Vasiev in a video Coppelia: Staging Recreation.

The Bolshoi primas Svetlana Zakharova (above)and Olga Smirnova (below) as Nikia in Marius Petipa’s

ballet La Bayadere, choreographicversion by Yuri Grigorovich, at the Historic Stage

Klim Efimov (Frantz) after his debut in Coppeliaat the recording of A Ticket To Bolshoi programme

on Rossia-K channel (airing in the end of February —beginning of March), the New Stage, January 13.

Photo/Instagram

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

A romantic fairytale for Christmas — an opera by Sergei Banevich The Story Of Kai and Gerda based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale was presented with day and evening performances at the New Stage on De-cember 29-31, 2018, and on January 2-7, 2019.

Music Director — Anton Grishanin.The performance detailsCastsConductors — Philipp Tchizhevsky and Anton Gris-

hanin.

Leporello, Ekaterina Morozova as Doña Anna, Yuri Syrov as Don Carlos, Oxana Volkovaas Laura.

Conductor — Anton Grishanin.Cast details

The Story Of Kai and Gerda by Sergei Banevichbased on Christian Andersen’s fairytale during

school vacations at the New Stage from December29 till January 7. Photo by Damir Yusupov

Ekaterina Shcherbachenko as Doña Anna, The Stone Guest. Photo by Damir Yusupov

Ekaterina Krysanova as Katharina and Vladislav Lantratov as Petruchio. Photo by Mikhail Logvinov

January 15, 16, 17 Performances of Iolanta by Tchai-kovsky at the New Stage.

The performance detailsMain roles in January performed by: Iolanta — Anna

Nechaeva (January 15, 17), Ekaterina Morozova (January 16); Robert — Konstantin Shushakov (January 15, 17), Aluda Todua (January 16); Vaudemont — Nazhmiddin Mavlyanov (January 15, 17), Oleg Dolgov (January 16).

Conductor — Anton Grishanin.Cast details

January 19 (12:00 and 19:00) and 20 — opera The Stone Guest by Dargomyzhsky at the New Stage. Stage Director — Dmitry Belyanushkin. Music Director — An-ton Grishanin.

See more about the opera and its producation as well as an interview with the director in A Medieval Thriller About True Love.

Main parts by:January 19 (12:00) and 20 — Sergei Radchenko as

Don Juan, Mikhail Kazakov as Leporello, Ekaterina Shcherbachenko as Doña Anna, Nikolai Kazansky as Don Carlos, Yulia Mazurova as Laura; January 19 (19:00) — Giorgi Sturua as Don Juan, Pyotr Migunov as

January 22, 23 and 24 — The ballet by Jean-Christo-phe Maillot The Taming of the Shrew at the New Stage music by Shostakovich.

Conductor — Igor Dronov. Casts

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

On January 13 Beethoven Hall opened its new 2019 year programme with the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra art-ists with the concert In Commemoration Of Vera Dulova 110Th Anniversary.

There were pieces by Sergei Prokofiev, Aram Kha-chaturyan, Turlough O’Carolan, Kim Robertson, Valery Kikta, Viktor Ulyanich.

Participants: Nina Ryabchinenko (harp), Vladimir Sklyarevsky (violin), Sergei Petrov (clarinet), the Bolshoi theatre orchestra artists. Conductor — Anton Grishanin.

See more about the prominent harpist whose birth-day is celebrated on January 27(14) in Memory Of Vera Dulova.

On January 18 at 17:00 the Bolshoi followed its tradi-tion and presented the Children of the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra Artists Concert at Beethoven Hall.

It is not the first concert of the kind at the Bolshoi. Participants are young musicians still at school. Yet being the children of professional musicians they are growing amid musical sounds and melodies, surround-ed by the names of music and musical instruments. The programme consists of pieces by Russian and European composers.

The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra took part in the con-cert. Conductor — Alexey Bogorad.

January 20 — Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra artists concert Great Clarinet Quintets.

Alexei Bogorad (clarinet), Mikhail Tsinman (violin), Alexander Mayboroda (violin), Dmitry Usov (viola) and Pyotr Kondrashin (cello) played Clarinet Quintet in A major, KV 581 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Clari-net Quintet in B minor, op. 115 by Johannes Brahms.

January 17, 18, 19, the Chamber Stage — Don Giovan-ni, Ossia Il Dissoluto Punito by Mozart.

Stage Director — Boris Pokrovsky Music Director — Lev Ossovsky The première at the Bolshoi took place on January 30, 1839. Revival Director — Mikhail Kislyarov.

The revival première took place on January 23, 2010.You can read about the play on the web-site of the

Chamber stage.Conductors — Vladimir Agronsky (January 17), Ale-

xei Vereshchagin (January 18, 19).Casts

Vera Dulova (January 14, 1909 — January 5, 2005).Beethoven Hall opened its new 2019 year programme with

the Bolshoi theatre orchestra artists concertIn Commemoration Of Vera Dulova 110th Anniversary

Tatiana Fedotova as Donna Anna, Zakhar Kovalyovas Don Ottavio and Roman Bobrov as Don Giovanni —Don

Giovanni, Ossia Il Dissoluto Punito by Mozartat the Chamber Stage — January 17, 18, 19

On January 15 there was a Bolshoi theatre orchestra artists concert Piano Trios of Russian Composers.

They played Anton Arensky Piano Trio No. 1 in D mi-nor, op. 32; Sergei Rachmaninov Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor , and Pyotr Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor, op. 50 (In Memory Of A Great Artist).

Participants: Alexandra Repchanskaya, Svetlana Miklyaeva (violin), Stepan Khudyakov (cello), Anna Gri-shina, Mariam Abgaryan (piano).

See more about the programme in an article by Na-talia Abryutina God-Given Trio

The first new-year performances at the Chamber Stage were 18th century comedy on Christmas day The

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

Rostov Mystery staged by Boris Pokrovsky (Musical res-toration by Evgeny Levashev, Music Director of the pro-duction: Vladimir Agronsky) on January 5, 6; Il turco in Italia by Gioachino Rossini (Music Director — Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Stage Director — Olga Ivanova ) on Jan-uary 10, 11, 12, and comic opera by Tatiana Kamysheva The Adventures of Cipollino based on the namesake tale by Gianni Rodari on January 13 at 12:00 and 16:00.

An opera by Pyotr Tchaikovsky Cherevichki based on the story Christmas Eve by Nikolai Gogol was pre-sented at the Chamber Stage on December 28, 29, 30.

Conductor of the premiere — Igor Gromov Stage Director — Olga IvanovaThe premiere at Pokrovsky Chamber Theatre took

place on November 28, 2008.You can read about the play on the web-site of the

Chamber stage.CastsConductor — Alexei Vereshchagin.The opera was first performed at the Bolshoi Thea-

tre on January 31(19), 1887.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s slippers at his Museum-house in Klin

Gian Carlo Menotti on a photo by Carl van Vechten, December 10, 1944.

The premiere of The Telephone and The Mediumat Pokrovsky Chamber Stage on March 22, 23, 24

Růžena Maturová — the first performerof Rusalka part

(March 31, 1901, at the National Theatre, Prague)

The opera by Pyotr Tchaikovsky based on the story Christmas Eve by Nikolai Gogol was presented at the Chamber Stage on December 28, 29, 30.

In the 2018/19 season at the New Stage the Bolshoi is going to present a premiere of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusal-ka, — Timofei Kulyabin continues rehearsals of the op-era.

Music Director — Ainārs Rubiķis (since the 2018-19 season the chief conductor of the Berlin Komische Oper).

Set Designer — Oleg GolovkoCostume Designer — Galya Solodovnikova.Lighting Designer — Damir Ismagilov Video Designer — Alexander LobanovDramatist — Ilya KukharenkoThe premiere will be on March 6, 2019.

The Pokrovsky Chamber Stage will present a pre-miere of two one-act operas by an Italian-American com-poser and librettist, twice winner of the Pulitzer Award (1950, 1955) and one of the most well-known opera-writ-ers of the 20th century Gian Carlo Menotti (1911–2007) — The Telephone and The Medium.

Stage Director — Alexander MolochnikovMusic Director — Alexei VereshchaginSet Designers — Sergei Tchoban, Agniya Sterligova

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

Costume Designer — Maria DanilovaLighting Desiner — Aivar SalikhovThe premiere of the one-act operas will be on March

22, 2019. There will be performances at the Chamber Stage on March 23 and 24 as well.

January 7, 2019 — the Bolshoi Children’s Choir (ar-tistic director Yulia Molchanova) performed at Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

Together with Patriarch Coir of the cathedral they sang liturgical chants at Christmas service held by the bishop of the Russian Orthodox church Patriarch Kirill.

The Bolshoi Children’s Choir takes part in opera and ballet performances, goes on Russian and foreign tours, cooperates with leading Russian orchestras and releases its own records. See more about the Children’s Choir (*.pdf)

The Bolshoi Children’s Choir. Photo by Damir Yusupov

The last issue of The Bolshoi magazine in 2018 had a focus on the youngest theatre-goers.

A richly illustrated “kids issue” of The Bolshoi (#5/15, December 2018) tells the reader in great de-tail how the theatre works, offers a cycle of special interviews Children To Children with little actors about their everyday life, rehearsals and favourite perfor-mances. It tells the readers about productions present-ed during the winter vacations: Three Stories About The Nutcracker Ballet, The Story of Kai and Gerda, an Op-era Voices Guide explaining vocal range with examples from the opera Cherevichki by Tchaikovsky at the Cham-ber Stage. It offers them a game Find Ten Differences, a fairytale Anya, Vanya And A Magic Opera-Glass and other colourful materials. The issue editors — Tatyana Belova, Anna Galayda, Svetlana Savelieva, Nikolai Mel-nikov, the chief editor — Dmitry Abaulin.

Among the publications of the “adult” issue there is a review on the premiere of Artifact Suite by William Forsythe and an interview with the choreographer of

the new production of Petrushka by Stravinsky Edward Clug: “I breath via artists’ bodies”, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich At The Chamber Stage, a review on tours in Riga and Chelyabinsk. “The second half of 2018 at the Bolshoi had a noticeable Italian accent,” an edito-rial says. Premieres of two Rossini’s operas, Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Evgеny Pisarev and Il Viaggio a Reims by one of the most sought-after Italian directors Damiano Michieletto, an interview with the Milano school grad-uate, a leading soloist og the Bolshoi ballet company Jacopo Tissi — one of those who gave a brilliant perfor-mance at the beginning of the season during the La Scala tour of the Bolshoi Theatre — the “Italian panora-ma” is continued by other materials of the issue. The is-sue prepared by: Dmitry Abaulin (chief editor), Tatyana Belova, Anna Galayda, Svetlana Savelieva.

Concerts of the State Academic Folk Dance Com-pany of Igor Moiseev took place at the Historic Stage on January 13 and 14.

The concert programme (*.pdf)The company art director — the National Artist of

Russia Elena Stcherbakova.Supporting music — the SAFDC orchestra, chief

conductor — the National Artist of Russia Anatoli Gus. Conductor — the Merited Artist of Russia Alexander Radzetsky.

Two years ago, on March 16, 2017, the State Academ-ic Folk Dance Company of Igor Moiseev gave an anniver-sary concert at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russa. Video is available at Rossia-K channel website and on YouTube.

Exhibition Museum and Theatre. 100 years together (1918-2018) — the first large-scale project dedicated to the collection of the Bolshoi Theatre Museum will run until February 10 at the New Manege (3/3 Georgievsky Lane).

TicketsDetailsExhibition promoPress release (*.pdf)

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

The Bolshoi expresses special gratitude to Chris-tian Louboutin company for financial support of the res-toration of the most valuable objects from the Bolshoi Theatre Museum collection — historical costumes and shoes.

Konstantin Korovin. A sketch of the Father Frost costumefor Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker in the Gorsky version,

1919. — Exhibition Museum and Theatre.100 Years Together (1918-2018)

at the New Manege until Ferbruary 10, 2019

Alexander Pavlovich Sotnikov(April 25, 1946 — January 10, 2018)

The Bolshoi continues to support the programme Bolshoi for Youth meant to bring the theatre closer to young audiences. On April 20 (12:00) they will be able to see The Flames of Paris by Boris Asafiev revived by Alexei Ratmansky at the New Stage.

Tickets available from January 21, 11:00.There are special ticket prices for the perfor-

mance — 600, 1200 rubles, 100 and 200 rubles (the less comfortable seats). These tickets you can get at the booking office upon production of your Russian pass-port if you are 16-25 (inclusive) years old at the moment of the purchase.

See more about the programme Bolshoi for Youth and the rules for ticket sales

Within the programme there will also be perfor-mances of Un Ballo in Maschera by Giuseppe Verdi – February 20, 2019, at the Historic Stage and La Fille du Pharaon by Cesare Pugni — March 9 (12:00), 2019 (sold out).

BOLSHOI MOURNS THE LOSSOn January 10 maestro Alexander Sotnikov, the Mer-

ited Artist of Russia, passed away after a long illness.Alexander Pavlovich worked at the Bolshoi during

several periods of time — first as a guest conductor (1985-92), then as an in-house conductor (2000) and then again as a guest conductor.

From 1965 the career of Alexander Sotnikov was linked with the leading Russian opera and ballet thea-tres and companies, including the SAFDC of Igor Moi-seev, Perm Opera and Ballet, Odessa Opera and Ballet. For several seasons he was the music director of Royal Danish Ballet orchestra, worked as a guest conductor with Portugal Natonal Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Asami Maki Ballet (Japan), Hungary National Theatre Ballet, Tbilisi Opera and Ballet, Buryatia Opera and Ballet and other companies.

In 2000, when the premiere of the Bolshoi commis-sioned ballet Daughter of the Pharaoh was being pre-

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

A&F: “Yuri Nikolaevich, some of your colleagues are trying to live solely in their realm of art... Do you manage to keep away from political circumstances?”

Yuri Grigorovitch: “I don’t even try to - I am worried about what’s going on around and what will happen to our planet. The most frightening thing is when our val-ues that we have been developing through ages, those we spent our lives for are not just questioned but threat-ened with extermination. We must constantly defend ourselves from somebody or something proving our right to be here on Earth, our right for our own outlook. Has the situation ever been easy for Russia? I think, not. It seems there is nothing harder than today. And then tomorrow comes — and all yesterday’s hardships seem no more than a nightmare. I am sure this time we will endure, too.” (Yuri Grigorovich: “I remember life as an endless work full of joy”).

The material copied by ClassicalMusicNews.

On January 4 media also reported Russian Pres-ident Vladimir Putin congratulating the rector of Va-ganova Ballet Academy Nicolai Tsiskaridze for his 45th birthday and mentioning his remarkable creative achi-evements.

The text fo the congratulation message was pub-lished on the state official page.

The congratulation reported by:RIA NovostiNews.ruVersiya.infoRewizor.ruIA URA.RuNevskie Novostiand other central and regional sources.

Many media covered the Rahvusooper Estonia tour at the Bolshoi stage.

Here are some links:Rossia-K (report): “The Rahvusooper Estonia showed

the ballet Modigliani -— The Cursed Artist in Moscow.”Kommersant (Tatyana Kuznetsova): “Modigliani and

Seven Dwarves: Estonian Ballet performed in Moscow”Sputnik Estonia (January 12): “The Rahvusooper

Estonia director: “We had to book a whole train to go to Moscow”

On January 14 within their Top-Officials special project TASS published a big interview with the Bolshoi director general “Vladimir Urin: “Nobody can fill my shoes!” The agency reporter Andrei Vandenko splits the detailed conversation (illustrated with 26 photos includ-ing rare shots from a private archive) into 4 parts:

1: On Pinocchio, The Blue-Haired Fairy And The Har-lequin, The Housing Question, Good Luck And Desktop Signs

Pressanalysis:Russian mass media

Many media congratulated the National Artist of the USSR Yuri Grigorovich on his birthday on January 2, 2019.

“Choreographer Yuri Grigorovich received congrat-ulations on his 92th birthday,” TASS reported.

pared, he became the production’s music director as well as the editor of Cesare Pugni’s scores.

The Bolshoi is in mourning and sends its sincere condolences to family and friends of Alexander Pav-lovich.

The funeral took place in Moscow on January 15. The passing of maestro reported by:SputnikClassicalMusicNews.RuSlipped Disc (Norman Lebrecht) and other national

and foreign resources.“My friend, a wonderful person, the conductor of

Royal Danish Ballet and the Bolshoi Theatre, Alexan-der Sotnikov has passed away,” Nino Ananishvili writes. “How many theatres had we visited together, how many tour kilometres covered, how many projects put into life...

Rest in peace, Sanechka, dear!”

Yuri Grigorovich. Photo / Kuban-24

IzvestiaRewizor.ruKuban24and many other sources.Argumenty and Fakty published an interview by

Olga Shablinskaya with the choreographer:

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

2: On Heaven On Earth, Childhood Friends, Mom, And Artistic Luminaries Georgy Tovstonogov And Maya Plisetskaya

3: On A Theatre Producer’S Job, A French Peepshow, Nureyev, Serebrennikov And Filin

4: On The Golden Mask, The Year Of Theatre, Clon-ing, Ticket Scalpers And The Sword Of Damocles

“I am in my 72nd year, I had a long and hopefully not useless life in theatre, managed to do something. Especially at “Stasik” [Stanislavsky Musical Theare]. It is not time to speak bout the Bolshoi yet. /.../ I formed a team... Some corporation of fellow-thinkers emerged who agreed to do the maximum possible for the Bolshoi. Every time there appear some clouds on the horizon I think first of all not about myself but about those I had invited. I don’t worry on my own account... Yet we have the Bolshoi plans set for three years ahead, I have signed contracts, assumed certain obligations. A man must keep his word,” says Valdimir Urin.

The agency English version also publishes a trans-lation of the interview.

ТАССGazeta. RuBloknot-RostovTASS: The Director General Of The Bolshoi Will De-

cide On His Successor In A Year Or TwoTASS: The SABT Director General Suggested To Give

Money To Theatres Instead Of Creating A New Theatre Award and other sources.

Central media keeps sorting out the results of a round-table meeting of musical theatre directors from Russia. Belarus, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan at the In-ternational musical theatre forum From Practice To Per-fection held in Yekaterinburg on November 26-30 within the framework of celebrating Sverdlovsk Musical Com-edy Treatre 85th anniversary. The head of the Bolshoi Vladimir Urin was the moderator of the discussion

A federal issue of Roaya Gazeta: (7764/6) publishes the discussion transcript by Irina Muraviova: “The High Spot: Heads of theatres are sure that the effective law on the contract system in the procurement area ruins theatres’ existence”, (along with 27 photos by Tatuana Andreeva).

Vladimir Urin: “... The main task of the new cultur-al legislation is to try and leave the sphere of so-called service and regard culture as a national project. Since culture is first of all an investment into a real person, i.e. the country’s future.”

The material is accompanied by the SABT director general’s photo. “Vladimir Urin believes that a bureau-cratic approach to numerical ratings in unacceptable for art.”

The media mentions than within the Year of Thea-tre an All-Russia Theatre marathon started on January 18 in Vladivostok with the ballet Sleeping Beauty by Mar-ius Petipa at the Primorsky Stage of Mariinsky Theatre. During the year, from March till November, the mara-thon will cover 85 regions of the country and terminate in Kaliningrad.

All information on the Year of Theatre 2019.рф.

On January 15, Tuesday, Gosduma pass in a first reading a government bill about sale and return of tick-ets to performances, concerts, shows, directed against ticket touts. Authors of the Rossiiskaya Gazeta article Curtain For A Ticket Tout mentions that various theatre figures had more than once spoke for this law in the newspaper. “Thus at a Business Lunch in our newspa-per office the director general of the Bolshoi Vladimir Urin said, “Ticket scalping will be banned and ticket touts will become outlaws. Tickets will be possible to sell only under a theatre license and only for the price set by the theatre. Serious penalties are introduced for violation of this law.”

The RF SABT Director General in TASS specialproject Top Officials. Photo from Vladimir Urin’s

private archive: 1) At Artek pioneer camp(Vladimir Urin on the left); 2) during military service, 1972

TASS

Fragmens of the multiaspect interview of the SABT director general were copied by many media that same day:

The Head Of The Bolshoi Concerned About Sere-brennikov’s Fate

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

The topic of sale and return order for tickets to per-formances also covered by:

Parlamentskaya Gazeta IA REGNUMRadio Business FM AiFand other media.

The RF President special representative for inter-national cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoi, the director general of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre Vladimir Urin joined the Public Council under the Gos-duma Cultural Committee, TASS reports. There are 22 persons total in the Council including Vladimir Mash-kov, art director of Oleg Tabakov Theatre, Sergei Bezru-kov, art director of Moscow Provincial Drama Theatre, and others. The Council first meeting will be on January 28, 2019.

Media keep covering the Rahvusooper Estonia tour at the Bolshoi Historic stage (January 9-12).

Rossiiskaya Gazeta: publishes a review by Anna Ga-layda: “Estonians came to Moscow virtually with their entire company — they brought the ballets Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs and Modigliani — The Cursed Art-ist and an opera Tosca and concert items that became part of the joint gala with the Bolshoi artists. No theatre company from the former Soviet Union republics had an opportunity to present themselves so comprehen-sively in Russia in post-Soviet times.

out beforehand.” According to the words of the head of the Rahvusooper Estonia Aivar Miae, the audience met the company “too well” — the tickets started selling in October and were sold out in three weeks. “Even I failed to find a seat in the stalls — everything was sold out. I had to sit on the stairs,” Miae laughs.

Vecherniaya Moskva newspaper quotes the Estoni-an theatre director Aivar Miae: “When planning the tour we thought of two things first of all: the artistic impres-sion — what to show in Moscow with its sophisticated audience, and if it was possible to adapt the perfor-mance to the Bolshoi Historic Stage. I hope we managed to solve all problems. Our artists are in heaven from this performance in Moscow. In is an unspeakable delight.”

The Bolshoi production plans kept the attention of media and musical critics summing up the first half of the theatre season 2018/19:

Alexander Matusievich in Kultura newspaper wrote: “While in the first half of the season the Bolshoi Opera went in for a comical element, especially Rossini, then the second half will be dedicated to melancholy Slavic narrative. For the first time in history the Bolshoi turns to Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák (production by Timo-fei Kulyabin and Ainārs Rubiķis) and once again tries its luck with the eternal Eugene Onegin (Eugeny Arye version will replace a sensational production by Dmit-ry Tcherniakov of 2006). Pokrovsky Chamber Stage will stage two operas by Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti The Telephone and The Medium (director Alexander Molochnikov). Philipp Grigoryan tackled Per-icola for the 200th anniversary of Jacques Offenbach. Among ballet premieres there are Winter Fairytale by Joby Talbot (choreography by Christopher Wheeldon), Gaîté Parisienne (choreography by Maurice Béjart) and Symphony C-dur by Bizet (choreography by George Bal-anchine).” (Anons-2019)

Timofei Kulyabin told the Theatre.Magazine about his work at the New Stage of the Bolshoi. The premiere of Rusalka will be on March 6, 2019. “I won’t tell you exact details or it will be a spoiler. It is rather compli-cated,” he told the Theatre. Magazine reporter. Timofei Kulyabin “There are several inversions when something that seemed to be one way turns out to be completely different. I had a rather difficult task and there was a reason for it. All my stories both in opera an in drama are about today, by characters that live in reality that surrounds us. As you remember, there is a problem with Rusalka — a good part of the characters are from fairytales. These are fairytale realms. You wouldn’t meet them in the street. My main task was to find situations and circumstances in the modern world for these char-acters to stay themselves — a rusalka, a nixie, a witch...”

ETVpluss channel report about the Rahvusooper Estonia tour at the Bolshoi Historic Stage

The head of the Rahvusooper Estonia Aivar Miae and ballerina Marita Veinrank were at ETVpluss chan-nel studio: “About 300 dancers, singers and musicians of the Rahvusooper Estonia have returned home from Moscow the day before yesterday after the first tour in 28 years at the Bolshoi. All 10 thousand tickets were sold

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

Alexander Molochnikov also told Theatre. magazine about his work at the Chamber Stage of the Bolshoi. “The theatre offered me the opportunity to stage an op-era after Kantata.Lab Workshop that was in May, 2018... I have been working on the material since September. It was offered y the Bolshoi, too. It is always interesting to tackle things you’ve never done before. The workshop let me understand things I am very curious about, it took away the feeling of opera as something incomprehen-sible. Currently I regard my work as making a 1.5-hour long theatrical clip, maybe I’ll gain some sense in the course of rehearsals!.. I can only say that the set design-er Sergei Tchoban has treated the plot dramatically enough.”

Kantata.Lab is a project of the Bolshoi Youth Op-era Program. Alexander Molochnikov is the only partic-ipant of the project who was offered staging. Alexander Molochnikov graduated from RATA, the course of Leonid Kheifets. He is an actor and a director at Chekhov MAT. MAT runs his productions 19.14, Rebels, Lovers’ Night, 19.17, Bright Way. He won two Oleg Tabakov awards and special jury awards of the Harlequin Festival.

The online specialised dance publication World of Ballet publishes an interview with the Bolshoi pri-ma-ballerina Olga Smirnova. The ballerina spoke about the most interesting events of the past year and her fu-ture plans and dreams. Last season was very productive for Olga Smirnova and rich in new roles: She worked with Jean-Christophe Maillot, John Neumeier and Ma-nuel Legris, debuted in Carmen Suite by Alonso and For-gotten Land by Kylian. The premiere of Artifact Suite by William Forsythe took place this autumn.

In January the World of Ballet also published an article and a photo session with the Bolshoi ballet first soloist Alyona Kovalyova. The ballerina spoke about how she found her place at the Bolshoi, about her tricky way to Raymonda and about what she is ready to sacrifice to fulfil her dreams, about her family and anecdotes. Text by Ekaterina Bayeva.

Black Tie magazine (#5, winter 2018/2019 ) publish-es an interview with the Bolshoi principal dancer Ar-tem Ovcharenko. The publication points out the special place taken by the role of the great ballet-dancer Rudolf Nureyev in the creative biography of the artist. “Artem was lucky to portray this character twice. In 2015 in BBC TV-film Rudolf Nureyev: Dance to Freedom and in 2017 at the Bolshoi in the sensational Nureyev ballet by Kirill Serebrennikov and Yuri Possokhov.”

Ovcharenko spoke about how his attitude to Nureyev as an artist and a person changed after the film and ballet release, about the new role in ballet achievements, about his family, building his career and

cooperation with John Neumeier. Interview by Elena Karakoleva.

Artem Ovcharenko in BLACK TIE magazine winter issue

The anniversary exhibition Museum And Theatre. 100 Years Together — on Moskva-24 channel schedule, “The idea is simple — to tell how scenic objects become museum items.” The Bolshoi has exhibited everything that formed its life during the last century: a portrait of Fyodor Shalyapin, a fan of Anna Pavlova, 120 costumes of opera and ballet artists (just imagine - the oldest one is more than 300 years old), shoes and headwear, there are even set models and stage props. You will not look behind the scenes here, yet you will learn exactly how much a ticket to the theatre was in 1824, what garments Maya Plisetskaya danced in, and what letters the artists sent to the front.”

On January 12, Elena Obraztsova Memorial Day (1939-2015), Rossia-Kultura channel presented a special programme More Tan Love. Elena Obraztsova and Algis Žiūraitis. It tells the story of love and fathomless respect and mutual understanding of two talented people. “... We had nothing to explain to each other,’ said the singer. “We were like one. And our unusual love gave birth to unusual music.” Immediately after the programme — an anniversary concert at the Bolshoi (January 12 at 20:55). Recording of 2014

The gala In Honour Of Elena Obraztsova commem-orated the singer’s 50th creative anniversary. The diva herself performed at the Historic Stage along with the best representatives of Russian vocal school: Makvala Kasrashvili, Zurab Sotkilava, Khibla Gerzmava, Maxim Mironov, Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Yulia Lezhneva, Di-nara Alieva, Veronika Dzhioeva, Dmitri Korchak, Vasily Ladyuk, Olga Pudova. The Bolshoi choir and orchestra conducted by Mikhail Tatarnikov, Moscow Chamber choir led by Vladimir Minin, the Bolshoi prima-balleri-na Evgenia Obraztsova and pianist Denis Matsuev also took part in the concert .

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

On January 11 the state museum St.Isaak’s Cathe-dral and Elena Obraztsova Cultural Centre held a con-cert tribute to the memory of the great Russian singer Elena Obraztsova To Your Soul, Elena...

“This night opened the year of the anniversary events dedicated the 80th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century,” TASS reports (and about 10 other resources).

A concert tribute to the memory of the great Rus-sian singer Elena Obraztsova To Your Soul, Elena... At Kultura RF website.

Elena Obraztsova. Photo / Kultura RF Galina Ulanova as Juliet, Yuri Zhdanov as Romeoin the movie-ballet by Leo Arnshtam and Leonid Lavrovsky

Romeo and Juliet, 1954. Photo / AiF

La Bayadere in the UK capital cinemas.Photo /Kommersant UK

The Bolshoi principal dancer Vladislav Lantratov spoke about the main New Year performance The Nut-cracker in his exclusive interview with Personality Cult programme on Mir-24 TV channel.

Link to the interview and video

Galina Ulanova was born on January 8, 1910. A Usu-al Goddess: How Ulanova Has Become the Personifica-tion of Russian Ballet — material by AiF Saint-Peters-burg (Maria Sokolova).

Russian international TV channel RT reports than more than six million people attended Russian Seasons in Italy and there are even more willing to (VIDEO). The article mentions, “The tour of the Bolshoi Theatre at La Scala in Milan has become the highlight of the festival. People from all over the country came to see the sold-out performances of La Bayadere and Taming of the Shrew.”

The major Russian-language publication in Britain Kommersant UK suggested, “to maintain holiday spir-its... by going to tge already familiar “virtual branch” of the Bolshoi in British capital.

On January 20, 2019, they screened one of the most picturesque productions in the history of classical bal-

let La Bayadere. The plot is set in India. To lovers — a temple dancer Nikia and a warrior Solor — struggle for their love and the right to be happy together. Cho-reographer Yuri Grigorovich and composer Leo Minkus presented the ballet masterpiece performed by leading soloists of the main Russian theatre.

On March 10 sophisticated theatre-goers are in-vited to see the screening of another classical perfor-mance — The Sleeping Beauty. The star cast includes

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

Pressanalysis:international mass media

Local media and online publications announce upcoming screenings of Bolshoi Ballet productions in local cinemas.

The local online community news publication Cou-rier Gazette and Camden Herald (USA) announces the upcoming screening of the Bolshoi’s La Bayadere in lo-cal cinemas.

La Bayadere is one of the greatest works in classi-cal ballet history — a story of love, death and vengeful judgment, set in India. Dazzling sets and costumes, with one of the most iconic scenes in ballet — the Kingdom of the Shades — illuminate the tragic tale of the temple dancer Nikiya’s doomed love for the warrior Solor, and their ultimate redemption.”

The local community news publication Sedona.biz (Sedona,Arizona USA) announces the upcoming screen-ing of the Bolshoi’s La Bayadere in cinemas as part of the local Sedona Film Festival.

The newspaper Lancashire Evening Post (UK)The newspaper Bridport and Lyme Regis News (UK) Stroud News and Journal (UK) YahooMovies (UK) Buffalo News» (USA) Hallelife.de (Germany) Thuringer Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany) Jamaica Gleaner (Jamaica) and Henrico Citizen

(Virginia, USA) announce screening o the Bolshoi La Sylphide in local cinemas.

Kentocky University website (USA) announces the upcoming screening of The Sleeping Beauty.

Olga Smirnova, Semyon Chudin, Alexei Loparevich, Yulia Stepanova and many others. On May 7 there will be the screening of The Golden Age, a personal project by Yuri Grigorovich dedicated to 1920s and cultural rev-olution in Europe. The season will end for the London audience on May 19 with a double screening of ballets Carmen, music by Georges Bizet and Rodion Schedrin, and Petrushka by Igor Stravinsky.

The Moscow based English-language online news publication The Moscow Times publishes an article choosing the best of Moscow’s museums, theatres and concert halls, including the Bolshoi Theatre. “Here is where you come to enjoy the ambiance — velvet seats, gilded everything — and see some of the country’s best ballet, opera, and music in a repertory that includes fa-vourites from the past and new productions.”

Cyrpus Mail (Cyprus) announces the upcoming screening in local cinemas of Bolshoi’s Nutcracker.

German media publishes responses to the Bolshoi Choir concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic under conductor Tugan Sokhiev. The three Berlin published reviews are highly politicised. Their authors criticise the performance organisers and conductor for the pro-gramme choice, link Sergei Prokofiev’s name with Sta-linism and remind the readers of “victims of commu-nist repressions” in Estonia.

The German daily newspaper Frankfurter Allge-meine Zeitung publishes an opinion piece by its fea-tures editor Jan Brachmann titled “Heil Stalin!“ about what he considers Russian cultural influences in pres-ent day Germany that are linked to Stalin. In his article he writes “Sergei Prokofiev’s cantata Alexander Nevsky, shortly after the premiere of the eponymous Soviet film by Sergei Eisenstein was released in Berlin. Tugan Sokhiev has included the piece on the programme of his concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic. A repeat act, because as early as March 2012, as chief conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Sokhiev’s dedication was to this piece. Film and cantata are close-ly linked to Stalin’s policies towards Germany and the Baltic States: the rabid German people’s betrayal in the film was no longer possible after the Ribbentrop-Molo-tov agreement of 1939, when Hitler and Stalin suddenly joined forces and divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence opportune.”

The German daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel publishes a review by Frederik Hanssen, “Tugan Sokhiev is Russian with heart and soul. In 2014, when he was given the musical direction of the Moscow Bolshoi Thea-tre, he gave up his position as Chief Conductor with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester after only four years — despite the enormous success he had in Berlin. Because he considered it his patriotic duty to bring the greatest opera house of his homeland to new splendour. Tugan Sokhiev is so proud of his Bolshoi that he has now brought along his choir as a guest conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic.” “They are all about overpow-ering. Sure, there are also moments of lusciously bloom-ing sound in the Mezzoforte, but most of the time, their singing is a demonstration of sheer phonetic strength. Their voices cut through the room like heavy-duty head-lights the dark winter night. / This baffles first, it also fascinates for a while. Finally, however, the listener feels particularly depressed. Because Tugan Sokhiev con-sistently focuses on power and abundance, because he has selected three works in which the choir is always required in the same way, namely as a powerful mass. In Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor is about a battle against

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

the Muslim Turkic people of the Kipchak, in the Alexan-der Nevsky cantata Sergei Prokofiev describes how the United Russian forces in 1242 slaughter the Knights of the Teutonic Order. And even in the only civilian piece of the evening, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Spring, a cuckolded husband (with steely baritone: Vasily Ladyuk) holds the hatchet in revenge on his wife.” “In the face of a surging level of aggression in the social discourse, in the face of nationalist hardening everywhere and the diplomat-ic glaciation between Russia and the West, it is already surprising that the Berlin Philharmonic pass such a programme without contradictions.”

The website of German broadcaster Deutschland-funk Kultur publishes a report about the live broadcast of the concert which was moderated by Masha Drost. There was also an interview by Drost with Tugan Sokhiev during the concert. “The dark sound of Russian choirs, in all its fullness and intimacy, is something special and seldom misses its effect “in the West”. Among the most famous Russian ensembles is the choir of the Bolshoi Theatre, which the Berlin Philharmonic invited. On the podium a comparatively young conductor and yet an old acquaintance: Tugan Sokhiev, once head of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and now Music Director of the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre,” Link to the ar-ticle and the interview with Tugan Sokhiev.

Tugan Sokhiev. Photo by Stefan Rabold /Der Tagesspiegel

Italian media announce the traditional Les Étoiles Gala of Daniele Cipriani at the all’Auditorium Parco del-la Musica di Roma.

The Italian online specialised culture news publica-tion Cultura Mente (Italy) announces, “... the countdown has begun for the most anticipated dance event of the capital. ... An army of stars is arriving at a dance step instead of a march for the sparkling Les Étoiles ballet gala... The show will be staged on January 20 at 18 and January 21 at 21 in the Sala S. Cecilia. The programme includes “a pas de deux from the sensational Nureyev,

ballet by Ilya Demutsky, Kirill Serebrennikov and Yuri Possokhov, which, causing a lot of fanfare and with the attention of all the press and TV in the world, debuted in December 2017 at the Bolshoi of Moscow. Vladislav Lan-tratov and Maria Alexandrova will perform it, playing Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, the most legendary dancing couple of all time. This edition of Les Étoiles is dedicated to the radiant English étoile Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991), who was a partner par excellence of Nureyev and whose centenary of her birth is celebrated. Couples in dance and life. In addition to the surprise étoile, an-other nice custom of Les Étoiles, which is respected in the 2019 edition, is to host couples of dancers who are also partners in life; in this gala there are two: the afore-mentioned Vladislav Lantratov and Maria Alexandrova.”

Besides the Bolshoi soloists a number of other ar-tisis take part in the programme (in alphabetical or-der): Bahtiyar Adamzhan (Astana Opera), Sergio Bernal (Spanish National Ballet), Tatyana Melnik (Hungarian State Opera), Vadim Muntagirov (London Royal Ballet), Olesya Novikova (Mariinsky Theatre), Marianela Núñez (London Royal Ballet), Leonid Sarafanov (Mariinsky The-atre), Polina Semionova (Berlin State Ballet, ABT).

The online specialised Italian dance news publica-tion Danza and Danza (Italy) also announces the Gala of Daniele Cipriani. The cast will include the Bolshoi’s Maria Alexandrova and Vladislav Lantratov, who will performs parts from the ballet Nureyev and also in La Fille du Pharaon. (The publication is illustrated with a photo by Mikhail Logvinov from Nureyev that features Vladislav Lantratov and Denis Savin as Eric).

Les Étoiles gala at Auditorium Parco della Musica website

The weekly newspaper Inform Praha (Czech Re-public) announce performances of Svetlana Zakharo-va’s show Amore at the Vyšehrad Congress Centre on January 10: “The programme consists of pieces by three choreographers, and three gifted dancers of the Bolshoi are the prima’s partners: Mikhail Lobukhin, Denis Rod-kin and Denis Savin. Music, choreography and spirits of pieces are completely different and joined by only one thing — love.”

The Italian online specialised opera news and reviews publication Opera Click publishes a review by Italian opera critic David Toschi of the Bolshoi’s Manon Lescaut with Anna Nechaeva and Yusif Eyvazov in the leading roles that he saw on November 9, 2018. He writes, “...The show... has the advantage of not dis-turbing too much, allowing the music and the singing gush out fresh and communicate directly to the public, without too many filters of the interpretation.” “A nota-ble voice of timbre, consistent volumes and “fluency in

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

facing trials” are the main characteristics that make Yusif Eyvazov one of Renato de Grieux’s ideal interpret-ers. The Azerbaijani tenor confirms himself as a talent capable of carving out a place in the international lyric scene and continuing his career, still to be set with a lot of study.” “With a pleasant timbre, and with possi-ble improvement, the young Anna Nechaeva, Manon, is, in the serious area of weaving, forced to an ingrained emission, therefore difficult, which also imposes a diffi-cult pronunciation on her.” “.. The Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow with its dry acoustics and most precious decoration added one more complete sellout and massive success to the victory list of Maestro Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece.”

The publication is illustrated with five photos of the performance by Damir Yusupov from the Bolshoi web-site (as well as a mistaken date of the performance in the schedule - January 10, 2019).

the new project that starts from Modena. With the solo-ists of the Bolshoi, the divine Svetlana debuted first in two works specially designed for her. To sign them Yuri Possokhov, who had already adapted Francesca da Ri-mini in the previous show Amore and Mauro Bigonzetti, who after a period of absence from the programmes, back again to the choreographic creation.”

The Italian online news publication Aska News re-ports, “Very young but already at the top: the “case” of the dancer Jacopo Tissi is at the centre of an evening in Moscow at the prestigious theatre museum Bakhrush-in. Main soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre, Tissi is a historic case as well as being a talent already established in the world of ballet world, yet still in full ascent. Wondering how far he can go, provokes some vertigo, but it is clear that his career is unprecedented and can only go even further.”

The French magazine Marie Claire publishes an ar-ticle by Valérie Rodrigue about the reasons to visit Rus-sia in winter. This includes a visit to the Bolshoi Theatre. “Behind the scenes of the Bolshoi Inaugurated in 1824, with a renovated and enlarged stage, the Bolshoi is a must. Guests of the hotel (Metropol), we have the oppor-tunity to visit behind the scenes, to attend with a little luck a rehearsal of ballet or opera.”

Estonian media covered the Rahvusooper Estonia tour in Russian capital:

ERR channel (Estonian national broadcasting com-pany) made a report from the gala concert of January 12 (Artur Tooman):

“The Rahvusooper Estonia tour at the Bolshoi The-atre in Mocsow is coming to its end. The visit of Estonian artists to Moscow may be truly called a historic event - last time the Bolshoi hosted Estonia 28 years ago.”

Anna Nechaeva as Manon. Photo /Opera Click

The Bolshoi Curtain. Photo /Medya Günlüğü

A Turkish independent online publication Me-dya Günlüğü publishes an article by Samih Güven The Bolshoi Curtain.

The translation is copied by INOSMI

The online specialised Italian dance news publica-tion Danza and Danza announces the upcoming season at the Teatro Comunale Pavarotti in Modena Italy. This includes “It was said of Zakharova: here it is May 5 with

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

The theatre website announced the appearance: “One of the most talented dancers of his generation brilliantly performs leading parts in ballet classics, in neo-classic and modern productions.” “For him dance is the call of a brave and noble soul,” Russian capital media say about Artem.”

Artem Ovcharenko as a performer of the Rudolf Nureyev role was mentioned in an interview by Tatar State Ballet soloist Oleg Ivenko who had portrayed “the flying Tatar” in The White Crow by British filmmaker Ralph Fiennes. “The movie tells the story of the dancer’s youth, his student life in Leningrad and the few weeks he spent in Paris in 1961. The film has yet been shown only at international festivals in USA, Spain, Egypt and Italy. We hope to see it in Russia this spring.” (Elena Kudryavtseva, Oleg Ivenko: “Luck Comes To Those Who Seek It”, Respublika Tatarstan).

The Bolshoi prima-ballerina Ekaterina Krysanova, leading soloist Maria Vinogradova, leading soloist Den-is Savin took part in a ballet stars gala Ivan Vasiliev. 30 years on January 10 at Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint-Pe-tersburg.

And were featured in TV-reportsRossia-K: “Ivan Vasiliev has staged 11 ballets al-

ready. He says it is just for the beginning. And he adds that he is gong to dance on for long time.” (Novosti Kul-tury, air of January 10, 15:00).

In briefThe Bolshoi opera soloist Anna Aglatova performed

a solo programme in Ulan-Ude within the Baikal Christ-mas Festival held by Buryatia State Philharmonic.

“It is not Anna’s first performance in Ulan-Ude”, notices MK Ulan-Ude in its announcement. “In 2014 to-gether with Moscow Virtuosos she opened the Philhar-monic 76th concert season. And two years later she took part in a show dedicated to the 350th anniversary of the town. Besides the Bolshoi Aglatova has performed in such world famous halls as Lincoln Center in New York, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Seoul Arts Center, Megaron in Athens. She was on tours in Germany, Belgium, Switzer-land, Holland, Italy, Latvia, Estonia, Greece.”

The concert covered by: Baikal-DailyUlanMedia.ru Kulturologia.ru and other sources.

Anna Aglatova in her solo programme at the10th Baikal Christmas Festival. Photo / MK Ulan-Ude

Olga Grishenkova as Princess Aurora, Artem Ovcharenko as Prince Desire, The Sleeping Beauty by Nacho Duato,

Novosibirsk Ballet, January 11. Photo / facebook

On January 11 and 12 the Bolshoi principal dancer Artem Ovcharenko made a guest appearance as Prince Desire at Novosibirsk Ballet in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s bal-let The Sleeping Beauty with choreography by Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato (with Olga Grishenkova as Princess Aurora).

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

“Denis Savin brought the tango from The Golden Age by Shostakovich as a present to Ivan. The Bolshoi leading soloist was the only one that evening to present Vasiliev as a choreographer, too, with the choreography A Soldier,” reports NTV-Petersburg reporter Pavel Ryzh-kov. “...Ivan Vasiliev soars above the stage at 30 as easy as he did it at 16.”

“…Ivan Vasiliev celebrated his 30th birthday”, Nov-osti Kultury, on air of January 10

Kuchkovo Pole Publishers released a book based on the Bolshoi Museum collection Alexander Gorsky: Chore-ographer, Artist, Photographer. Three parts of the book give a multi-aspect impression of Gorsky. Every piece of his professional work is marked by true talent. “For me as an artist all of you are colours... material, living, sen-sible and aspiring ones,” Gorsky addressed to his ballet company. Most of the published documents are costume and set sketches (graphics, watercolours, gouache), photo studies and photo-portraits of his colleagues and friends. There are materials used by the choreographer to study movements and later in his work with dancers - photos of the dancers and scenes from performances as well as ballet librettos, figures placement patterns and dance recordings in Vladimir Stepanov system. The indexed album of Alexander Grosky’s personal archive is the first publication with coloured illustrations and full up-to-now academic description of the artefacts. Alexander Grosky (1871-1924) was the honoured artist of imperial theatres, chief choreographer of the Bolshoi since 1902. Gorsky’s work makes an entire epoch in the-atre history. Having staged 36 ballets and dances for 33 operas at the Bolshoi, Gorsky created the Moscow bal-let’s unique style.

On January 10, 2019, the founder of the world famous Moscow State Academic Chamber Choir, the Natoional Artist of the USSR, the State Award winner Vladimir Minin turned 90.

Memories of happy years of collaboration with Minin by Elena Obraztsova, Saulius Sondeckis, Georgi Sviridov, Iosif Kobzon — in a new documentary (author and director Olyes Fokin) Confession Of Love shown on January 7-8 (00:00) on the First Channel.

Kuchkovo Pole Publishers released a book based on the Bolshoi Museum collection Alexander Gorsky:

Choreographer, Artist, Photographer

Vladimir Minin: Confession Of Love A documentaryon the 90th anniversary of maestro. Photo / Pervy Kanal

Vecherni Orfei congratulated the prominent musi-cian on his 90th anniversary by broadcasting (January 10, 21:00 Moscow) the vocal-symphonic fresco Nine Steps To Transformation by Eduard Artemiev dedicated to the hero of the anniversary.

Congratulations to maestro from:Rossia-KRossiiskaya Gazeta and dozens other media.Kultura newspaper publishes and interview by

Evgenia Krivitskaya: Vladimir Minin: “Company is not a mass of mediocrities but one talented system”

“Today Victoria Postnikova celebrated her anniver-sary at CGH,” Evgenia Krtvitskaya wrote on facebook on January 12. “The pianist has turned 75. I put down her age deliberately even though it is seems to be not comme il faut with ladies. Yet in her case Postnikova could easily flaunt the number because let them play at 30 and 50 like she played today. Everything started as it was announced with Bruno Monsaingeon’s open-ing speech. He is the director of legendary films about Richter, Oistrach... He speaks Russian fluently and pro-nounced his homage to the the hero of the anniversary with sincere admiration. The words were so big that I instinctively feared: how would she come on stage and play after it? Then there was a whole hour of films: Postnikova and Rozhdestvensky, on stage and at home, vast fragments from her performances with Yehudi Menuhin in Saint Petersburg and rare archive footage of their rehearsals taken by Monsaingeon. And again

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

words of praise and admiration... Yet later we saw that Victoria Postnikova fully deserved all those big words. Eight Schubert impromptus... // A beautiful and deeply impressive evening ...”

Programme To the Anniversary Of Victoria Post-nikova at MSC of Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Orfei Radio congratulated Victoria Postnikova on this day as well.

Victoria Postnikova performs Schubert impromptuson her 75 birthday, CGH of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, January 12.

Photo by Evgenia Krivitskaya /facebook

Roland Petit (1924 — 2011) was born on January 13, 1924, in Villemomble (Seine-Saint-Denis, France).

In honour of the 95th anniversary of the birth of one of the most acknowledged ballet classics Rossia-Kultura channel showed a documentary Roland Petit. Between Past And Future (director Valeri Spirin, 2009).

“He travelled all over the world yet only cities of his true success could touch his heart. The silence of an amazed audience was the best music for him and the best book was the one he could base his next ballet on. His choreographic ideas were always future-oriented yet his heart seemed to long for the past where those he loved had stayed.

All those who worked with him know how severe and obsessed Roland Petit could be, yet only a few guess how he could love and appreciate a true talent.

This film is the choreographer’s portrait. He is alone there recollecting all those he was lucky to meet,” the annotation says.

The film Roland Petit. Between Past And Future Be-tween Past And Future (39’28’’) available on YouTube .

The New York Times publishes a farewell article from dance critic Alastair Macaulay titled Hail, Dance, and Farewell to the Critic’s Life. Macaulay praises Alexei Ratmansky In his article.

The article mentions, “As for Mr. Ratmansky, no-

body in recent decades has done more to make (and transform) dance history. In 2008, he resigned from the artistic directorate of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow; New York has had no greater coup than his move to the city, where he has been artist in residence at Ballet Theatre since 2009.

An interview with Mikhail Messerer: “I Cannot Shake Off The Feeling That They Are Going To Leave Our Classics Heritage Behind”. Kultura newspaper publish-es an interview by Elena Fedorenko. “Mikhailovsky The-atre chief choreographer... resigns voluntarily after 10 years of productive service on New Year’s eve [December 24] he had marked his 70th anniversary and decided to turn the page.”

On January 8-14 at the Minor Hall of Moscow State Conservatoire of Tchaikovsky, the 22nd Chamber Music Festival Homecoming was held. The programme includ-ed four concerts — Amateurs, Remakes, Neo and a pro-gramme of requests. “Violinist Roman Mintz and oboist Dmitry Bulgakov have been running the Homecoming Festival annually for more than 20 years. Graduates of special music schools of Russia and CIS who continue their careers abroad take part in this festival,” Colta.ru reports “This year as in the recent four years the festival organisers launched a fund-raising campaign to keep the festival going. The campaign was successful and the raised money — 1 mln roubles — will cover fare and hous-ing expenses of the festival participants, renting of score materials and rehearsal rooms, preparation and issuing of printed materials and other organisational costs.’

“The festival has a few unique peculiarities,” Maya Krylova of Music Life writes. “Three themed programmes each with its own concept letting you considering what comes first — the music or the idea? The final concert is always a request programme — it is the participants who choose. Names of programmes never repeat as well as the pieces played. The festival is an alloy of sobriety and humour uniting close friends. (Where else can you see a gold medal winner turning scores for another gold medal winner?) And the word “play” means more than just musical performance for them.” (Sometimes They Come Back)

ClassicalMusicNews.ru copies the materialThe festival websiteThe festival page on facebooklivejournal.comVyacheslav Shadronov’s LJ-report about the festival

events

The Ministry of Culture website announces the world premiere if the opera Dr. Zhivago by David Krivit-

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

Socialnetworks “Unforgettable emotions of recent performances!!!”

Agunda Kulaeva writes on her facebook on January 12 and shares photos from the hall at Kemperplatz. “It is great that Russian music is SO welcome in Europe! Bravo to our dear choir of the Bolshoi!!! Gratitude and

sky based on the namesake novel by Boris Pasternak. The premiere will be on January 24 at Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall.

“Soloists and ensemble of Mariinsky Theatre Young Opera Singers Academy under Larisa Gergieva will take part in the concert performance. Nikolai Khodzhin-sky will conduct the Mariinsky Theatre Symphonic Or-chestra.

The opera Dr. Zhivago was created in 1990-92 and follows Russian classical tradition: operas by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Modest Musorgsky, Sergei Prokofiev.”

The online specialised dance news publication SeeDance (UK) announces a new exhibition of “Never before seen costumes, programmes and other objects from Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes will be on display at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum (UK) this spring, opening on February 2, 2019. Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes features items from a unique private collec-tion of costumes and ephemera telling the stories of the Ballets Russes, the most spectacular and scan-dalous ballet company of the early 1900s.”

The exhibition will run in parallel with another one — Matisse: Drawing With Scissors. Both will run till April 27. Free admission.

The exhibition Diaghilev’s Ballets Russeswill be on display at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum

from February 2 till April 27, 2019. Photo /SeeDance

admiration to my beloved Tugan Sokhiev! Thank you to legendary Berlin Philharmonic orchestra!”

Agunda Kulaeva facebook

Yuri Feklistov on facebook: “From the chest of memory...Yuri Lyubimov at Vagankovo Cemetery. May 1988.”

The photo was taken during Yuri Lyubimov’s stay in Moscow by the invitation of Nikolai Gubenko in May 1988.

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

DebutsLA BAYADEREJanuary 16. Egor Gerashchenko (in company sin-

ce the 2017 season, rehearsing under the guidance of Vladimir Nikonov) — Solor. Evgeny Triposkiadis as Magedaveya

January 17. Bruna Cantanhede Gaglianone — Dance with Drum

January 18. Ekaterina Besedina — Dance with DrumJanuary 19 (starts at 12:00). Yanina Parienko - Dance

with DrumJanuary 19 (starts at 19:00). Eleonora Sevenard (in

company since the 2017 season, rehearsing under the guidance of Svetlana Adyrhaeva) — Gamzatti.

Masha Fomina has posted another photo-report of La Bayadere screening – “Behind The Curtain Of The Bolshoi”

January 9 — Nina Terentieva’s birthday. A meet-the-artist event “Teacher and Pupils” with the National Art-ist of Russia, the Bolshoi soloist, professor of Gnesins Music Academy will be at the Central Actors’ House on February 4.

Anastasia Terentieva together with Andrei Khripin shares an album Nina Terentieva: Rare Photos on face-book and asks for cooperation: “HELP! Looking for con-tent for the upcoming concert on February 4 in honour of Nina Terentieva’s birthday! Please don’t be greedy! The great and powerful Bolshoi Theatre, the BT Muse-um, anyone who still remembers... Loves... Friends and colleagues all over the world! Please... Records, photos — whatever possible ! Media — newspapers, magazines... We’d be so glad of cooperation in searching for records, photos, articles. Thanks in advance!”

Anastasia Terentieva on facebook

Long before the world premiere of the superhero blockbuster Igor Tsvirko has already tried himself as the protagonist of Venom once (seems, at the Bolshoi stage). Now he is Spider-man! (“When there’s childhood tickling inside, or you just love”).

On January 20 Ballet And Opera forum discussed the live screening of La Bayadere ballet.

“A wonderful performance! It’s worth the Bolshoi’s rating. Thank you to all artists and first of all to stagger-ing corps de ballet in all three acts!”

Photos of the performance of La Bayadere on Ja-nuary 19 are available on Instagram fatox511 (Fatima).

Foreign audience also shared their impression of the screening seen: “Artemy Belyakov of the Bolshoi Bal-let i – their sense of theatre and their athleticism,” Jon-ny Russell from UK writes on Instagram.

The pre-screening performance of La Bayadere and the debut of Egor Gerashchenko were also appreciated by the forum regulars.

“I liked Egor’s debut very much. He had obviously spent a lot of time on the role, added fresh facets to it. A short video fragment of Egor Gerashchenko’s debut as Solor on January 16 is available on his Instagram.

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

For additional information, please contact The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office by e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru tel.: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

THE STONE GUESTJanuary 19 (starts at 19:00). Yuri Syrov as Don Car-

los. Alexander (the Bolshoi opera company soloist since November 2018, debuted as Don Prudenzio in Il Viaggio a Reims) — Second guest.

COPPELIAJanuary 12 (starts at 12:00). Xenia Zhiganshina —

Swanilda’s friend/Friends. Nino Asatiani, Dmitry Efre-mov — Mazurka. Anna Lebedeva — Czardas. Alexandra Trikoz — Prayer.

January 13. Klim Efimov first appeared as Frantz. Alexandra Trikoz — Friend/Friends. Xenia Zhiganshi-na — Aurora

THE NUTCRACKERJanuary 3 (starts at 12:00). Vladislav Shevchenko —

Russian doll. January 4 (starts at 12:00). Yanina Parien-ko, Pyotr Gusev, — Indian dolls.

January 4 (starts at 19:00). Ekaterina Smurova, Dmitry Ekaterinin — Indian dolls.

January 5 (starts at 12:00). Nina Biryukova — Chi-nese doll.

January 6 (starts at 12:00). Vitaly Getmanov — Rus-sian doll.

January 7. Jacopo Tissi as Nutcracker-Prince

DON CARLOJanuary 23. Dresdner Semper oper soloist Chris-

toph Pohl debuts at the Bolshoi as Rodrigo (January 25 also). Anastasia Sorokina — A Voice from Heaven. Bekhzod Davronov — Royal Herald. Alexander Boro-din, Valery Gilmanov — Flemish deputies

January 24. Mariinsky Opera leading soloist Ro-man Burdenko debuts at the Bolshoi performance as Rodrigo (January 26 also). Guzel Sharipova as Tibo. Al-exander Borodin as Monk

BirthdaysJanuary 10 — Vladimir Minin, National Artist of the

USSR, choir conductor, choirmaster and mentor, art director of the State Academic Chamber Choir — 90th birthday.

January 10 — Fuat Mansurov (1928-2010), National Artist of Russia, the Bolshoi conductor for more than 40 years (1969-2010), conducted opera and ballet per-formances, symphonic concerts.

January 10 — Miša Maiskis, Soviet and Israeli cellist.January 11 — Reingold Gliere (1875-1956), the Nation-

al Artist of the USSR, composer, conductor, tutor, music and social personality.

January 11 — Alexander Vedernikov (1964) — the Bolshoi chief conductor and musical director (2001-2009) — 55th birthday

January 11 — Anna Tikhomirova, first soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet.

January 11 — in 1940 in Leningrad the premiere of Romeo and Juliet ballet by Sergei Prokofiev took place.

January 13 — Roland Petit (1924 — 2011), dancer and choreographer, one of the 20th century ballet classics — 95th anniversary of his birth.

CastalterationsCOPPELIAJanuary 12 (19:00) Margarita Shrainer replaced An-

astasia Stashkevich as Swanilda

LA BAYADEREJanuary 16 Xenia Zhiganshina replaced Kristina

Kretova as Gamzatti.

DON CARLO Dmitry Ulyanov (January 23 and 25) and Rafał Si-

wek (January 24 and 26) appear as Philip II.

Roland Petit © Hhurriyet

January 13 — Simon Virsaladze (1909-1989), theatre artist, set designer, painter. Chief designer of Leningrad State Kirov Ballet in 1940-1962 — 110th anniversary of his birth.

January 14 — Nikolai Kazansky, the Bolshoi opera soloist, bass-baritone.

January 15 — Vadim Ryndin (1902-1974), the People’s Artist of the USSR, painter, set designer, the Bolshoi chief stage designer in 1953-1970.

January 15 — Leonid Jakobson (1904-1975), ballet dancer, choreographer, director of Choreographic Min-iatures company (nowLeonid Jakobson Ballet Theatre), the Merited Artist of the Russian Federatopm.

Newsletter 28.12.18 — 25.01.19

Digest has been compiled by The Bolshoi Theatre Press Office | Photos: Damir Yusupov and Mikhail Logvinov | Design layout: Ekaterina Volkova

Photos published in this digest can not be used in future publications without permission. All materials used in the review are publicly accessible on the official

websites of news agencies, the media, NGOs and government agencies and may be incoincident with the opinion of editors. For more information please

contact the Press Department of the Bolshoi Theatre: e-mail: pr@bolshoi.ru, tel .: + 7 495 692 0818, fax: + 7 495 692 3367

January 16 — Lyudmila Semenyaka, ballet master of the Bolshoi, National Artist of the USSR

January 16 — Tatyana Krasina , ballet master of the Bolshoi, Merited Artist of Russia

January 17 — Ivan Urban, Hamburg Ballet principal dancer for whom John Neumeier staged 15 ballets

January 17 — Denis Zakharov, Bolshoi Ballet dancer (since 2018)

January 18 — Evgenia Obraztsova, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi

January 22 — George Balanchine (1904-1983), a prominent choreographer who laid the foundation of American ballet and contemporary neoclassic dance — 115th anniversary of his birth

January 23 — Boris Pokrovsky (1912-2009), opera di-rector, tutor, professor, National Artist of the USSR who staged 41 performances at the Bolshoi

January 23 — Vladimir Bogorad (1938-2004), a prom-inent soloist of the Bolshoi Orchestra (1962-1983), the bassoon group concertmaster at the Bolshoi. Since 1983 the conductor on Goskoncert and Moscow Ballet on Ice orchestra.

January 24 — Yuri Bashmet, violist, conductor, Na-tional Artist of the USSR

January 24 — Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)

Evgenia Obraztsova for the online magazine Ballet Insider George Balanchine

January 20 — Maria Bylova, ballerina, mentor, Na-tional Artist of Russia

January 20 — Rimas Tuminas, director, art direc-tor of Vakhtangov Drama Theatre, (he staged Katerina Izmailova by Shostakovich in February 2016 and The Queen of Spades by Tchaikovsky in February 2018 at the Bolshoi).

January 21 — Igor Moiseev (1906-2007), dancer, bal-let master, choreographer, tutor, National Artist of the USSR

January 21 — Nikolai Golovanov (1891-1953), conduc-tor, pianist, composer, choirmaster, tutor, National Art-ist of the USSR

January 21 — Vladimir Preobrazhensky (1912-1981), ballet dancer, ballet mentor, Merited Artist of the Rus-sian Federation